Why WPS isn't a hot election issue

Surveys have consistently shown that most Filipinos favor candidates who vow to defend the country's sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.

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But on the campaign trail, few candidates have made the country's maritime rights a centerpiece of their platforms even after China's provocative flag-raising at Sandy Cay near the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island last month.

With just days left before millions cast their votes for new senators and thousands of local officials, the longstanding maritime dispute between the Philippines and China appears to have been largely eclipsed by economic concerns, particularly underemployment and the rising cost of goods, and the dramatic political feud between the Marcos and Duterte camps.

The muted rhetoric on sovereignty, for political scientist Cleve Arguelles, may reflect a campaign season shaped more by pressing economic anxieties than the Philippines' territorial dispute with China.

“The West Philippine Sea is undoubtedly an important issue for many Filipinos. Our surveys consistently show strong public support for defending Philippine sovereignty and pushing back against China's incursions,” Arguelles also founder of survey firm WR Numero told Philstar.com.

“But like all political issues, it competes for attention and right now, it's losing that competition to more immediate concerns like food security, inflation and jobs,” he said.

SANDY CAY: AN INCIDENT WITH LITTLE CAMPAIGN IMPACT

In late April, Chinese state media reported that China's Coast Guard had “implemented maritime control” over Sandy Cay, an uninhabited sandbar just three kilometers from Pag-asa Island, where around 300 Filipino civilians and military personnel are stationed.

State media reports claimed China Coast Guard officers had “exercised sovereign jurisdiction” in Tiexian Jiao— the term China uses for Pagasa Cay 2 in mid-April.

The Philippine government swiftly responded with their own mission, sending Navy, Coast Guard, and police personnel to plant the Philippine flag on the same features and debunk China's claims of seizing control.